This captivating collection of 35 traditional Ukrainian tunes includes marches, patriotic songs, polkas, waltzes, etc. These melodies will make you cry, and make you dance.
Each Tunes for Two collection consists of individual spiral-bound duet books presented in score form with melody on the top line and harmony beneath so you can play each tune by yourself or with others. Duo arrangements of the tunes in this collection, in the same keys, are available for violins, violas, cellos, basses, mandolins, soprano recorders, and alto recorders.
The tunes in this collection are laid out so that there are no page turns to interrupt the flow of your playing.
PDFs are available worldwide for each of the books in the Tunes for Two series.
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“A ja vse dyvliusia de moja Marusia” (And I Always Look to See Where My Dear Mary Is) “A U Tih Bogachok” (And Those Rich Folks Have) “Avstriys’ka” (Austrian) “Bandura Waltz” “Chumak” (Merchant) “Czorny oczka” (Black Eyes Like Blackthorns) “Diwocza Widmowa” (Maiden’s Refusal) “Ebba Polka” “Hopak” “Hraj, Abo Kroszi Widdaj” (Play, Or Give Back the Money) “Hramofon” (Gramophone) “Khay Zhyve Vil’na Ukrayina” (Long Live Free Ukraine) “Kolomyika” “Kozak” (Cossack) “Kucheryava Kateryna” (Curly Catherine) “Les Cils Fonces” (Dark Eyelashes) “Ne Pyj Waniu” (Don’t Drink, Vania) “Nese Hala Wodu” (Halia’s Carrying Water) “Od Kyyeva Do Luben” (From Kyiv to Lubny) “Oi Chyi to Kin’Stoyit” (Whose Horse is Standing There) “Oj, Harna Ja, Harna” (I Am So Beautiful) “Oy U Luzi Chervona Kalyna” (The Red Viburnum in the Meadow) “Oy, Ty Nichenko” (Oh, You, the Night) “Perepilka” (The Quail) “Po Dorozi Zhuk, Zhuk, Po Dorozi Chorniy” (Along the Road Black Beetle) “Rozpriagajtie Chlopci Koni” (Unharness Your Horses, Boys) “Shche Ne Vmerla Ukraina” (Ukraine’s Freedom Has Not Yet Perished) “Ty Zh Mene Pidmanula” (You’ve Deceived Me) “Val's Levkivka” (Waltz from Levkivka) “Venherka” (Hungarian) “Viys’kova” (Military) “Yak Bu Ne Marusia” (If Not For Marusia) “Zaporozich” (Cossack from Zaporizhzhia) “Zaswystaly Kozaczenki” (The Cossacks Are Whistling) “Zeleneje Zito” (The Rye is Green) |
Deborah Greenblatt and David Seay continue to introduce folk music from around the world to young musicians. It’s a fun way to learn about the various tonalities and rhythmic patterns specific to these nationalistic tunes. This set of duets for two double basses is an adaptation from the original version for two violins. All of the publications in this series are available for viola and cello too, so the combinations are flexible. The colours and idiosyncrasies of Ukrainian traditional songs and dances feature toe- tapping syncopations and haunting tonalities especially the Ukrainian Dorian mode. Many of the duets are charming and lively but my favourites feature the melancholy minor modes. Chords are marked throughout so adding a guitar or piano line is easy. Combining a violin or viola on the top line with the lower bass line would also expand the musical possibilities. Greenblatt dedicated these duets to her Ukrainian grandfather, so this publication has a personal touch.
“Ukrainian Fiddle Tunes for Two Violins, compiled and arranged by Deborah Greenblatt, is a delightful and welcome addition to violin repertoire. It provides a gratifying and engaging diversity to teaching of standard literature. There are 36 Ukrainian fiddle tunes which include some folk and military songs as well as some dances, among others. They are set for two violins of varying skill levels. Chord symbols are also included for either guitar or mandolin accompaniment if these are available. These duets are also available for other instruments such as two violas, two cellos, two mandolins, for example.
Something I found particularly appealing in this compilation was the varying levels of difficulty, from approximately Level 2 of standard method books such as Essential Elements or Strictly Strings to shifting to 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, with bowings ranging from fairly simple to more complex string crossings and accented beats within slurs. While the first violin part was one level of difficulty, the second violin part was often much easier. For me, this makes it usable across a private studio with various levels of of students’ skills. The melodies were enjoyable to hear and interesting to play. Most duets were fairly short, approximately 28 - 60 measures in length. Pedagogically, I can use these pieces as a pleasant and fun reinforcement for students who are studying some of these concepts in a larger work. I’m delighted to have Ukrainian Fiddle Tunes, both to teach and to perform,”
“Musically, this is a fun collection, where most tunes are easily imagined to serve for folk dancing. The pre-dominant time signature is 2/4 with a clear up-down feel to them. Guitar chords are indicated, and addition of a guitar (or other chordal accompaniment) would greatly add to the character of these pieces.”
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